Posts
Colin from Australia shares how his experience at the Affirmation Conference replaced guilt and shame with healing and “a real sense of self-acceptance and loving who I am.”
“Knit Together in Unity & Love” is a conference for LGBTQ/SSA Mormons, their families, friends, and church leaders that will be held in Los Angeles, CA over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend of January 15-17, 2016. The theme of this conference comes from Mosiah 18:21 in the Book of Mormon: “…Having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” The conference will feature speakers, workshops, recreational activities, a service project, socializing, a testimony and spiritual story sharing meeting, and more! Registration is open!
View the video of Affirmation President, Randall Thacker’s, keynote speech from the 2015 Affirmation – LGBT Mormons, Families & Friends Conference. The theme of his talk is how we can “Grow Our Light Within” through Acceptance, Forgiveness, Service and Finding our Vision & Voice. A moving message that includes stories of LGBT Mormons from around the world.
I appreciated Elder Holland’s talk during the October 2015 General Conference. He spoke openly, over the pulpit, about a gay young man serving worthily in the church. He said clearly that in all the support extended to this young man, no one expected to change him. He spoke of the importance of parents offering love and support, especially when things don’t go as planned, or a child is not who they expected.
Dealing with doubt, and coming to terms with the fallibility of Church leaders and members was a major theme of the 185th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other talks featured individuals not in heterosexual marriage finding meaning and happiness through faith and service. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk sparked discussion among LGBT Mormons, their families and friends about family acceptance and the place of LGBT people in the Church.
View the video of our Wednesday, October 7th semi-annual Post-General Conference Virtual Discussion. Panelists shared their perspectives and feelings regarding things they heard during the October 2015 General Conference.
Almost 600 people attended the 2015 Affirmation – LGBT Mormons, Families & Friends Conference in Provo, Utah last weekend. They came from as many as 12 countries, 4 continents and content was provided bilingually in English and Spanish. You can view photographs from the conference on our Affirmation Facebook Like Page. Videos are also available on our Affirmation LDS You Tube channel and links provided within to articles written about the conference.
It is only then when we touch the pain that we are in a position to be able to mourn. To be able to enter that second covenant. To mourn with that person. It is only then that we can truly comfort. That we can be good friends… Only then, when we understand the pain, can we offer words of comfort that reach deeply. And only then can we take upon ourselves the name of Christ.
Within the principle of fostering love within the family, there may also be an opportunity to discuss the unique challenge of LGBT acceptance within the home.